


A Stick of Gum

by sirachamuchacha



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Ambiguous/Open Ending, M/M, i dont wanna spoil it cuz its so short lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-26
Updated: 2018-03-26
Packaged: 2019-04-08 16:37:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14109543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sirachamuchacha/pseuds/sirachamuchacha
Summary: A short story in which both Rick and Negan are desperate and alone.





	A Stick of Gum

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in an hour thats why theres no backstory lmao!!!!!!!!

Negan sees him sometimes zipping through the streets of campus on his shiny red bike, frightening all the squirrels in his wake, and making angry drivers honk their loud horns.

He looks so fearless with his hair in the wind, blowing back like a flag, or like the air just wanted to hold it for a second, maybe run its fingers through it.

Everytime Negan sees him he just looks flushed and sweaty, not at all overly appealing, but even then his brain hums with interest.

He doesn’t think too much about it, though. He has no reason to. He’s way too busy with school, with his shitty minimum wage job, with contemplating the unkempt meaning of his life, with stifling the urge to be done with it all and run away.

But one day Negan sees him on the shuttle, no hot red bicycle to be seen.

He’s dry, not sweaty, but he still retains a flush on his pale face, though not as intensely hued. It makes him look cherubic.

His hair is still and calm, but crazy in the pattern of its curl.

He has earphones in like most people on the bus, and he’s looking down at his phone.

Negan sits adjacent to him, at first unknowingly, but when he looks up it's all he can notice, all he can think about.

Why does he feel so tethered towards this person?

_Because he’s hot, duh._

Negan huffs a laugh at his own thoughts, shaking his head as he pulls out a pack of gum from the back pocket of his jeans.

As he’s popping the unsheathed stick of minty green into his mouth, he notices the curly haired boy slide closer to the window, leaving an empty space near the aisle.

Negan sees his chance and swoops in to sit beside him.

Immediately the boy is pulling out his earphones, giving Negan an odd look.

Negan just smirks, ever the entertained one, and holds out his wrinkled, battered pack of gum, “Want one?” He asks, winking as he draws out, “It’s the last one!!”

The boy grimaces, moving Negan's hand out of his space.

“You’re creepy,” he states, “What the hell do you want from me?”

Negan sits back, stuffing his gum back in his jeans, crossing his legs conversationally.

“I’ve seen you before, on your cool ass bike. What’s your name, huh? You got a name?”

“Umm… it’s.. Shane.. My name’s Shane.”

Negan quirks a brow, “You don’t fucking look like a Shane.”

Self proclaimed Shane swallows, sighs, “Fine… my names Glenn, alright?”

Negan tilts his head, but gives in, folding his arms behind his back.

“That’s no fucking good, I already know a Glenn. Maybe you’ve seen him, he’s pretty fucking popular around here.”

“Glenn’s” eyes widen, and he tries not to meet Negan’s gaze, because he does in fact know that Glenn.

“Real cute Korean dude, that Glenn. Hot girlfriend, too.”

“Glenn” says nothing, fidgets a bit.

“My names Negan…” Negan says, smirk fading into something much more friendly, softer due to the silence, “Try not to fucking cream yourself.”

That makes the curly boy give a soft chuckle. Then he breaks.

“My names Rick,” he confesses, smiling at his own silliness, “I know Glenn.”

Negan barks a laugh, “Wow! You’re a fucking prick! Rick the prick- how’s that for a fucking name? You like that one?”

Rick rolls his eyes.

“Why are you even sitting here?”

“I wanted to know your name, jerk.”

“Well now you do,” Rick teases, bumping Negan with his hip, “Nice knowing you, _Negan_.”

“Wait- don’t push me, Ricky, it’s turning me on- _Wait!_ I need your help!”

Rick relents, looking up at Negan with an exasperated expression, responding with a matching tone.

“With what?” He groans, “Jesus, can’t you ask one of your friends?”

Negan gives an insufferable grin.

“You _are_ my friend, Ricky-”

“Don’t call me Ricky again or I’ll kick your ass.”

“And since you’re my friend.. I’m here to tell ya: I’m thinking about dropping out of college.”

Rick responds with a grave expression, shocked.

“Yup, that’s right. Dropping out. Just fucking leaving Texas and going across the country and _ploop!_ dropping off the face of this goddamned earth? What do ya think? Wanna join me?”

Rick eyes him with suspicion, nervous slightly before he just chuckles warily.

“ _Ha!_ _Funny!_ ” He says with a tight smile, “Good one, Negan!”

Negan laughs too, looking Rick dead in the eye as he says, “I’m not kidding.”

Then Rick’s smile is clean off his face.

“What year are you?” He asks Negan, struck by seriousness.

“Senior.”

Rick’s jaw drops, “You’re gonna drop out your Senior year?? We only have one semester left! Can’t you at least wait until then!”

Negan laughs, sarcastic, “And if I were a Junior you’d be telling me the same shit: _Oh wahwah!!! You only have one more year! You’re gonna drop out when we only have one more year?!!_ ”

Rick narrows his eyes, crosses his arms over his chest, “What are you gonna do if you drop out, huh?”

Negan shrugs, “Shit, I don’t fucking know!”

“Exactly,” Rick says smugly.

“Is it too much to ask you to fucking believe in me?”

Rick scoffs, “I don’t even know who you are!”

“Do _you_ know what you’re gonna do after you graduate?”

Rick purses his lips, crossing his arms tighter like an indignant child, and doing everything but meeting Negan’s eyes as he looks left and right for a good answer.

“Well… no, but-”

“Egg-fucking-xactly, Ricky.”

Rick lets out a loud breath, annoyed.

“So let’s run away. Me and you together, let’s fucking do it. Me and you and the road- wherever you wanna go, baby. Whatever those blue eyes wanna see. I got some money saved up from my stupid fucking job, enough to get us to any state in this country- Shit, maybe even fucking Hawaii- so what do ya say?”

Rick looks over at Negan.

At this point in his life, what does he have to lose?

His parents don’t talk to him anymore. He’s drowning in tuition bills. He’s working twelve hour shifts just to try to pay for college. He’s failing half of his classes, getting zero hours of sleep.

The front tire of his bike is popped and he can’t ride it anymore, doesn’t have the money to fix it.

His last freedom, bike riding, gone- and what now does he have left? A life settling to become stale.

A boy- a stranger- with dim hazel eyes and greasy black hair and an offer.

“Fine,” Rick says, nodding softly as his mind makes itself up, “Let’s fucking leave.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank yall for reading i hope u guys liked it lmao i like writing little things like this but hardly have the chill to not make multichaptered shit.


End file.
